Secrets for two
by MariaPurt
Summary: King Henry goes mad, and his wife tries to cure him the way only she can (you may've already read this part, I've re-edited it a bit, and the next part is soon coming).


"The king, he's done something to a girl," Catherine heard Kenna's voice. "Oh?" there was no sympathy or interest in the queen's response; only the mockery. What did her husband's young mistress expect when she come complaining about him to his own wife? "Diane is gone. What could possibly upset your existence in my husband's bed?"

Kenna shivered, her eyes traveling through the room — from the dancing couples to the waiters, from yet another suitor introduced to her by the king to her own dress... until she saw the king grinning at her. He nodded, waving his hand for her to approach. "The kings sexual appetite appears to be growing," Kenna breath out into Catherine's face, bowed and took off.

Catherine smiled to herself — today's evening just went from exceptionally boring to entertaining. She turned her head following the sound of Kenna's skirt on the floor, still wondering if she should go tell her husband just how ridiculous his mistress was. But the queen could see there was something unusual in the way the young girl treated Henry: the distance she tried to keep between their bodies, the begging looks she shot at the queen... After several moments Catherine's interest melted, her attention turning to a more pressing matter — her wine glass was empty...

The evening ended just as boring as it had begun - His Majesty vanished into the crowd, holding his young mistress' waist, leaving his wife alone on the throne with a mask of the indifference on her face.

Catherine only smiled graciously noticing a second girl joining her husband near the exit. The more Henry had in his hands, the less time he had to harass his wife, and it suited her. By now the Duchess story was long buried under a new wave of blame and arguments — the ones Catherine would not voice if only her husband let her be. But something has changed in Henry since that night - whether it was the taste of blood on his hands, or an ecstasy of not being punished for a crime - it was difficult to say, but Catherine knew one thing for sure: her husband was a different man now.

He did not try to approach his wife, keeping the usual distance between them and boyishly parading his mistresses, but at the same time he did throw countless passionate looks at her. He hasn't learned to accept the word "No" from women, and so the king still thought it was a game . His wife's plea not to destroy what they had built after her failed execution - that youthful desire and a deadly secret shared between the two of them - was interpreted by Henry with the inadequacy only he posessed.

Not later than the next morning Catherine learnt how truly damaged her husband could be. Kenna rushed into the qeens chambers sobbing, and it wasn't the sexual appetite of Henry's that worried her – but rather how his games in the bed ended for others..

Very soon Catherine realized she'd underestimated the power of her husband's concealed resentment - for the first time in his life he didn't get what he'd wanted, and it pissed Henry off. He no longer controlled himself, and the dead bodies in his bed happened more and more often while the king's behavior turned completely irrational and sadistic. The rumors slowly travelled through the castle, threatening the royal family, the crown and France.

"You're breaking all existing laws," Catherine whispered to her husband's ear catching up with him in the hallway one morning. The king twisted his lips as if he'd bitten something very bitter. "I'm the king. I was chosen by God to break them!"

"Stop it before it 's too late, I beg of you," she whispered watching him pass by her, not expecting he'd hear. Henry froze, then stepped back to his wife feeling her tension.

"Is that so?" he faced his wife with an evil smile. "Wasn't it you who made sure Diane would disappear without a trace?" Henry shook his hands. "And now you're judging me? My dear wife who does not want to remember of her duty is telling me about the laws?"he touched Catherine's neck with his fingers. "I miss you. And you know it, but you are rejecting me, again and again," his hand on the woman's neck trembled, turning into a grip - a completely weightless one though.

"Not so long ago you were perfectly fine without me," Catherine threw defiantly, stepping back and leaving Henry's hand dangling in the air.

"I still am fine," Henry grinned again, turning away on his heels. "But no matter what I do, I always fail to meet your standarts."

Exiting the hallway Henry threw the last snark he'd prepared for his wife, letting the words echo from the stone walls, "You know where to find me."

For some time Catherine stood there, a bitter smile frozen on her face. If Henry wanted to get her again, he would have to come up with new charges and set a new date of her execution. Perhaps even that wouldn't be enough. _Now it wouldn't be enough. _Two days later another girl went missing in the castle, making Catherine realize just how determined the king was. Nobody knew or saw anything as it was supposed to be at the French court. But Henry's charade exceeded all the permissible limits. He could've chosen his victims among the servants – he could, but he did not. Instead, each new victim was either a daughter or a wife of a noble, making such sexual pleasures of the king dangerous for the crown. If the nobles found out what was happening behind the closed doors of the royal chambers and where the blue-blooded ladies of the court were disappearing - a riot could begin...

As rumors were spreading around the castle, Catherine still hoped that her husband would find a worthy replacement for Diana, but nothing happened. Until finally one night Catherine heard someone breaking into her chambers. It was the same naive - but now frightened beyond recognition - maid of honor of the Scottish queen.

"Your Majesty " Kenna shouted from the door as a guard tried to intercept her. Catherine waved her hand dismissing him. "Your Majesty," Kenna repeated, trying to catch her breath. "King ... he..."

"I was about to go to bed. As you can see, "Catherine looked at her nightgown. "What do you want? " her voice sounded irritated.

"He ... we ... He tried to throw me out of the window," Catherine saw horror in the eyes of her husband's young mistress, but for some reason did not feel any sympathy.

"Don't fly close to the fire if you're afraid to burn," the woman said indifferently, then grinned and turned away. She hoped her bravado would cover the fear that was taking over her own body...

The moon slowly rose above the horizon. The full moon. Catherine looked through the window - the worst moment it was, but she simply had no choice. Taking a deep breath and putting on a dress, she reached for the door, ready to exit her chambers. The situation with the king had to be resolved now - before he'd do something really irreparable .

"I thought you'd come quicker," Henry stood in the midst of his chambers wearing a silky robe.

"You are very sure of yourself. What stopped you from storming into my chambers? "Catherine stepped into the room. "What does this performance mean, Henry ? I thought we'd learnt to coexist without hurting each other?"

"You've insulted me. Publicly."

"It wasn't about you."

"But we both know who you were refering to. You mocked the suicide note Duchess wrote of her lover's sexual prowess of a lion!" Henry turned around, finally facing his wife, approaching her, and waving a warning finger at her. He licked his lips like a cat seeing a boul of cream and touched Catherine's cheeck with the back of his hand feeling how tensed his wife was.

"You're trembling, my dear wife," clicking his tongue, Henry grinned and lifted Catherine's chin with his fingers so that she looked down at him.

"It's cold in here," she nodded at the window regretting it the very next moment - clearly understanding what path she'd just pushed her husband's thoughts onto. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" the queen took a step back, dropping her dress to the floor, leaving a corset and a long skirt to cover her body. Henry froze, insulted by her indulgence.


End file.
